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2009-08-29

Poster - Metropolis

I wanted to share with everyone the movie poster for the 2001 anime Metropolis, directed by Rintaro and scripted by Katsuhiro Otomo. We're all very familiar with this one, because it's used as the cover of the DVD. There are some good lines and bold color, and it focuses on the movie's central character, Tima, with her obsessive pursuer, Rock, in the background.

Is this movie really a love story between these two? That's a good question. We obviously think of the boy, Kenichi, as the romantic hero. But be honest. Isn't he a drip? He's really too bashful to do anything. His relationship with Tima is surprisingly passive. If he wasn't chasing around everywhere with the girl in tow, I really don't know what he'd be doing with her.

Rock, on the other hands...now, Rock has passion. His drive stems from his feelings of rejection by his adoptive father, so he sees Tima as a rival instead of a lover. But at least he feels something, and acts upon those feelings, ruthlessly, without fear of consequence. Rock posseses the animal heart that Tima only imagines she had. They're the true couple of this picture.

Frankly, I would have been preferred seeing that wimpy wet blanket Kenichi hop on the plane with his detective uncle. He's the Paul Henreid of this movie, and, as always, I'm rooting for the girl to pick the other man.

I saw Metropolis for the first time a few months ago. Probably one of my favorite anime movies, if not one of my favorite movies.

I enjoy your comments about this triangle of characters. Now, I've only watched the movie once and I definitely need to give it another viewing sometime for better absorbtion and analysis, but I just wanna say a little bit. I think Kenichi's bashfulness renders him the "unlikely hero." I think the scenes between him and Tima are incredibly charming. He may be childlike and shy, but I think his love is more passionate than you give him credit--it's just not easy for him to express passion directly. Kenichi does strive to protect her with his life, after all (perhaps there's a certain Sosuke-Ponyo parallel there, albeit a teensy one). And cleary, Kenichi is intended to be a character contrast to Rock. They are at odds on many levels, in persona and purpose. This is important to the story.

Aaaaand I need to watch the movie again because I have no specific examples. Maybe I'll get back to you on a later date, haha. But I should say: speaking from experience here, bashful people are not without passion.